India

This travel guide has been a long time coming! I went to India in September 2018, and I was supposed to be back there last month. Our trip was postponed for obvious reasons, so I thought it would be nice to go back and revisit my past trip and finally share the details with you.

It’s so hard to put the trip into words—India is a complete attack on every one of your senses, in the best possible way. It is so visually layered with color, texture and pattern and the business makes New York seem calm. Some people love it and for others, it’s a bit too much. I personally loved my time in India and can’t wait to return some day…

JAIPUR

STAY

After spending time in Bangalore for work, we flew to Jaipur and spent 4 full days in the city. If I were to do it again, I might spend one additional day in Jaipur or plan our days a little differently. There is so much to see and do while in Jaipur, we really packed our days full and left little time for relaxing. We also took a trip to Bagru, a block printing village outside of Jaipur, which took up the majority of a day.

We stayed at Jobner Bagh and I can’t say enough incredible things about this hotel! Not only is it beautiful, it’s the most serene respite from the heat and the bustle of Jaipur. We absolutely loved every detail of this hotel and highly recommend it. The owner and staff take amazing care of you and are so thoughtful—they feel like family. On our last day, I was experiencing really intense neck pain and their on-site doctor gave me a massage and helped to relieve some of the pain before our journey back home.

I was super wary of getting sick while in India, so I was glad that Jobner Bagh has an incredible chef who can make meals for you each day. We ate the majority of our meals here, with the exception of dinner one night at Caffé Palladio and another night at Rambagh Palace. The meals we had at Jobner Bagh were so comforting—like you are eating in someone’s home.

A few other hotels we were recommended: 28 Kothi, Narain Niwas Palace Hotel and Samode Haveli.

SEE + DO

As I mentioned above, there is an overwhelming amount of things to see and do while in Jaipur—not to mention the incredible shopping. I recommend getting an early start on your day so you can avoid the intense heat and crowds at many of the popular places. We often went back to our hotel during the middle of the day to have lunch, cool down and relax.

— Hawa Mahal: The famed pink Wind Palace is a must see. I recommend going early in the day, and the best way to see it is from across the street.

— City Palace: We went on a guided tour of City Palace, which I highly recommend so you can see more of the incredible rooms. It’s best to visit later in the day as the sun lowers and lights up palace walls. On your way out, try to find Tikam Chand—a photographer taking portraits with a 150-year old camera. Such an amazing souvenir!

— Arts & Crafts Walk: Recommended to us by Lucy, this walking tour through the old city of Jaipur was incredible. We probably would not have ventured into this part of the city otherwise and we got to see so many artisans and craftsmen in their studios. Vineet was an excellent guide and leads many different walking tours within Jaipur.

— Flower Market: Our driver took us to the flower market on our way to Amber Fort and what an amazing stop! It was so beautiful seeing all of the flowers spilling out everywhere you turned.

— Amber Fort & Palace: Set high up on a hill, it’s quite a trek to get to, but extremely worth it. So much to explore and the level of detail throughout is breathtaking.

— Step wells: There are many step wells to visit and I highly recommend paying one a visit if you are able to. They’re unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and the patterns of the stairs are so mesmerizing. We stopped at this step well on our way back from Amber Fort & Palace.

— Palm reading: After our dinner at Rambagh Palace, we paid a visit to their palm reader, as recommended by Katie & Erin. India is known for being a big astrology hub, and I had never had my palm read before. It was a really unique experience and one that I’ll never forget.

SHOPPING

Shopping in Jaipur is unlike shopping anywhere else. They have regular boutiques and shops, but there are also tons of hidden spots. Our driver was invaluable to us—we would tell him what we were interested in shopping for, and he would take us to the best place he knew. He did this for us with rugs, tea, perfume and ceramics!

— Tokree: I loved this small boutique and found an amazing light pink quilted jacket here.

— Heritage Textiles: If you have pieces at home that you really love, but wish you had in another color, pack them with you and take them to a tailor! The tailors in India are incredible and can remake any garment for you. I took a couple dresses and was so impressed at the quality of the pieces they made!

— Hot Pink: This boutique is in a cute shopping area, super close to Bar Palladio.

— Anokhi: Lovely store with traditional blockprinted home goods, pajamas, dresses, quilts, etc. You can find Anokhi shops all over India.

— Kama Ayurveda: We loved this ayurvedic skincare brand—we all came home with numerous sprays and lotions!

— Jaipur Blue Pottery: There are many places to stop for Jaipur Blue Pottery on your way to/from Amber Fort & Palace. I fell in love with the handpainted ceramics and brought home numerous pieces! They wrap them up super well so nothing breaks on your journey home. The ceramic pitcher in this photo is from there.

EAT + DRINK

We ate the majority of our meals at our hotel, Jobner Bagh, but we did have a few meals outside of our hotel. In hindsight, I wish we would have tried a few other places, but the food at Jobner was so delicious and comforting!

— Caffé Palladio: Very photogenic cafe that’s great for lunch or dinner.

— Bar Palladio: A beautiful spot for drinks and dinner—be sure to check out some of the cute shops nearby.

— Rambagh Palace Verandah: Our nicest meal on our trip was at Rambagh Palace. It was so lovely and the food was delicious. I wish we had been there before sunset to see the peacocks roaming around the lawn! Definitely stop to get your palm read while you are there too.

BAGRU

We had heard from a few friends that we must make the trip to Bagru, a village known for its traditional block printing. We booked a tour with Studio Bagru and had such an amazing time learning about this traditional craft and wandering the village to see block printing in action. Highly recommend this if you have some extra time on your visit!

general TIPS

— Driver: Our hotel connected us with our driver, which was immensely helpful for us to get around. We spent nearly every day with him and we loved his recommendations and getting to know the city through his eyes. Ours drove a classic Ambassador, which you’ll see everywhere—it even had block printed curtains! I believe that most hotels can assist you with hiring a driver, but have also been recommended to use Sadhana Travel. You can also use Uber to get around.

— Food: As I mentioned above, we were super cautious about what we ate and avoided meat and any uncooked vegetables. We also avoided fruit that couldn’t be separated from its skin (strawberries, blueberries, etc.). We only ate fruit at Jobner Bagh where we felt safe. Definitely pack a fair amount of snacks—granola bars, nuts, etc.—as you will find yourself far from food at times!

— Health: Before our trip, we got numerous recommendations to take probiotics before and during our trip. We also took activated charcoal pills to prevent any food poisoning, which was recommended to us from seasoned travelers to India. Definitely visit your doctor before traveling for any necessary shots and antibiotics to have on hand.

— Long Haul Travel: We were so fortunate to get to travel business to India, which made the travel much more bearable. I swore by my compression socks, noise-cancelling headphones and comfy sweats to keep me relaxed and cozy. I miraculously did not experience any jet lag, which was a miracle. As soon as I got on the plane, I adjusted to the time where I was heading, and if they were sleeping, I slept and if they were awake, I stayed awake. I think it helped tremendously. I also took a small dose of melatonin while in India to make sure I got quality sleep each night.

— Souvenirs: I highly, highly recommend bringing along an extra foldable bag in your suitcase so you can bring home lots of treasures. I brought home a rug, numerous pieces of Jaipur blue pottery, robes, pajamas and lots of chai tea!

As always, let me know if you have any questions! Always happy to help answer and offer any advice I might have.